These knives are not the thickest planer knives out there, but the Delta 22-580 planer is overall a nice machine, especially considering the price.
I have noticed some chipping in my planer knives. But all planer knives chip. It's just a fact of life. They will certainly chip if you forget to remove a staple. They will chip if they hit a piece of sand or dirt. They will chip if they hit a knot (I recently chipped mine on some pine knots). And sometimes they will chip for no obvious reason whatsoever. This is true of this planer costing a few hundred dollars, and it is true of planers costing thousands.
When they chip, you will see small ridges down the board. Note that if you see this, then SOMETHING caused this chip since it is very unlikely that both of your knives will chip in the same place unless there was something rough to cut on your board surface.
There are two simple and free ways to deal with this:
1) Note that you can move the blades slightly left and right. If you want to, you can move one blade to the left and one to the right, and thus, the chips will no longer line up and you will be left with a smooth surface.
2) Once you thickness the board to the right size, keep the cutterhead locked, and run the board through another pass. Since it's unlikely that the board is inserted exactly the same way twice in a row, you'll be left with a smooth surface. DELTA 22-549 Replacement Knives for DELTA 13-Inch Planer
I have a 12-1/2" Delta planer and the blades are basically the same as the 13". I go through a lot of blades. For those of you complaining about the blades, I suggest you buy a different planer, it's just the way it is. I seriously doubt any manufacturer is going to be able to make a better set of blades due to the design and nature of the beast. I run a lot of wood through my planer, from hard purple heart to soft poplar. I am a woodworker and use it everyday. I chip and break more on pine and aromatic cedar. That's what a nice Makita orbital sander is for. I am sure it is because of the knots and sap. The sap dulls them faster as well. Try running a board through with a nail in it on a brand new set of knives. Been there, done that, on the first pass. Thank god there is a second side. I believe mine says it will shave an eighth at a time. Or is it 1/16th? I can do half of that and my blades last longer.That's a lot of passes going from 1-1/8" rough cut down to 3/4". It isn't so much the blades as it is the design. The older model planer blades were slotted,wider and probably thicker. This meant they could be sharpened and adjusted. I do however love that I don't have to adjust my blades on the Delta. Changing them is so quick and easy. I spoke with a Delta rep and he told me they are basically disposable blades and can't be sharpened. They are narrow, thin, and pinned. I have had my Delta for over 2 years now and have had no problems with it at all. I have been through 4 or 5 sets of knives. I basically lost count. Like I said, it's just the way it is.
I have had my new 22-580 planer for about a month and use it almost every day. The blade zero and thickness lock are priceless. I can go back and duplicate a thickness day after day as long as I don't change the lock position. It gives a very smooth surface at either of the 2 speeds.
My only 2 problems are the infeed and outfeed tables being almost useless and the blades chip easily. I run about 40 bf per side before getting a few chips in the blades and I'm planing Alder. Great tool with so so blades. Shifting the blades does buy me a couple more cuts before having to replace the blades.
My driveway is covered with snowdrifts of shavings, twenty cubic feet last weekend. Then I flipped the blades after seventy passes of 1/64inch each on 2x12x12 salvaged oak and poplar crating planks. So, I ended up with 50bf of finished 2x12. The knives are the heart of the machine and they are turning one man's trash into some beautiful material. They wear and dull just like my saw blades. While I wish they could be resharpened, I also wish that lumber didn't come with nails, knots, and sap.
Wonder why there is so much variation in experiences with this planer and its knives? I have had my Delta 22-580 for almost three years with excellent performance. Today's order is for my second set of replacement knives. I have planed many bf of white oak, cherry, walnut, tulip poplar, and some softwoods with no problems and very satisfactory results. I appreciate the ease with which the knives can be changed.
As another review noted "all knives chip" -- eventually, even when working carefully. Just purchase an extra set of blades and expect to swap them out at some time. Also, I think doing more, thinner passes over wood that has been carefully inspected helps prevent the knives from chipping.
The planer does excellant job, but one side of blade lasted about 7 hours of planing white oak. Main drive belt shredded and damaged its housing. Have to return to service center for warranty replacement. Based on previous experience with delta/porter cable service center can expect machine to be out of service for a month. Replacing this part is not discussed in owner's manual. Manual does not provide blow up of parts or identify parts by part nos.
If you have a Delta planer then eventually you will need replacement blades. I looked everywhere, and Amazon.com had the absolute best price by far. So good , I bought 2 sets. The blades arrived quickly and without any problems. The indexing holes on these blades make alignment much easier than on previous Delta planer models. I am able to change both blades and be back woodworking in under ten minutes. I buy lots of rough wood and have planed miles of hardwood lumber. The blades last a reasonably long time, as with anything it is dependent on how well you treat them and what kind of debris you run through the planer. - Tools - Razor Blade'
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